lightford



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

Patented Aug. 30, 1892.

J. G. LIGHTFORD. MoToR PoR STREET GARS.

Snom/Lto;

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Patented Aug. 3 0, 1892.

@wth/Leones We oy/55%@ JAMES G. LIGHTFORD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MOTOR FOR STREET-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,715, dated August30, 1892. Application tiled July 3, 1891. Serial No. 398,404. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known .that I, JAMES GORDON LIGHT- FORD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis,in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Steamand Gas Motor for Street-Oars, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of motors in which the products ofcombustion of hydrocarbon gas and the steam generated by the heatproduced by such combustion are combined to operate an engine similar tothe ordinary steam-engine; and I hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the'same.

Knowing the heating-power of the hydrocarbon gas intended to be used inmy motor the heating-surface of the boiler is estimated to conduct adefinite proportion of that heat to the water to generate steam. Theportion of the heat retained in the products of combustion is used tosuperheat the steam generated in .the boiler, therebyv increasing itsvolume, and likewise the volume of the gases, which at their influx tothe gas and air-pumps are at the temperature of the surroundingatmosphere. The initial temperature of the compound of gases and steamwill be reduced, by its expansion in the Workin g cylinders, to a meanpractical working temperature. This temperature is limited by the natureofthe material of the cylinders, the piston-packing, and the slidevalves. The temperature will be such as to carbonize the ordinarylubricating` oils orfats. Therefore metalline is fitted to and used as aself-lubricant in the pistons and slidevalves, thereby avoiding thewaste of the heat of expansion by exterior appliances to reduce thetemperature. The effective heating-power of the boiler is increased bythe augmented temperature of combustion, consequent upon the union ofthecombustible gasesand has been accomplished under high tension, andthe extent of heating-surface in the boiler is reduced to correspondwith the pressure required in the boiler to propel the car. The shelland tubes of the combustion-chamber can be made of very light material,as 'the pressure will be equalized on the l'ire and the water surfaces.

The obj ect of my improvements is to econo- Fig. 3 is a top view of theworking parts of 6o the machinery. Fig. 4 is a sidc elevation of thesame, omitting two of the driving truck- Wheels. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection of the boiler, and Fig. 6 a horizontal section at the line 4 5.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar part-s throughout theseveral views.

The framework of the car is composed of the sills A A, thedistributing-pipes B B, the stanchions C O, tc., the eaves D D, and theroofrafters E E, &c. These pipes, forming a storage for the gas, are allconnected by means of the pipes n 'n' and are charged with gas at a hightension through the pipe n. The pressure of the gas in storage isdetermined by the distance that the car is required to travel with onecharge of gas. The gas to supply the furnace for combustion issues fromthe storage-pipes by the pipe 7L, to which is connected a reducing-valvethe gas is thereby reduced to the intended Working pressure in theboiler F. The volume of gasto be supplied for combustion is regulated bythe gas-pumps t t, from which it pro- The pressure of 8o ceeds to thecombustion -chamber s by thepipes 7L h, dto. y{lhe pipes 7L h are fittedatl their influx and efflux portions with rubber sections, which willbehereinafter explained. The air required for the combustion of the gas issupplied by the air-pumps f f, which 9o are of a proper proportionatecapacity to supply the exact requisite amount of oxygen for the perfectcombustion of the gas. The gas is ignited inthe combustion-chambers atthe gas-burner o through the pipe l by means of any convenient kindler.The products of combustion impinge upon the under side of theWater-bottom 2 of the combustion-chamber s, a portion passing up in thecentral pipe r and part by the space between the water- 10o bottom 2 andthe shell of the combustionchamber s, thence intermingling with theWater-tubes u u., dto., in the chamber s and passing to the pipe q. Theboiler F is supplied with water sufficient to cover all heating-surfacesin any of the usual ways in general use in steam-boilers. When steam ofsufficient tension is generated in the boiler to start the engine inmotion, the valve Hin the gas-pipe q is opened and the products allowedto combine with the steam in the steam drum G, from whence the combinedsteam and gas is supplied to the engine by the pipe J. The power topropel the car is transmitted from the engine by means of thefriction-wheel X on the engine-shaft b, the idler friction-Wheels Y Yand the driven friction-wheels IV W on the truck-axles Z Z. The idlerfriction-wheels Y Y are suspended by the links U U U U from thelifter-arms T T on the lifter-shafts pp, supported by the lifter-standsV V V V. The lifter-shafts are operated by the bellcrank arms T T,connected by the rods R S with the lever P. The leverP is provided witha spring-catch and works in a segmental guide and catch-plate b. Theshaft O, attached to the lever P, is provided with an arm Q. This arm isconnected with the rod R to transmit the motion of the lever P. On theshaft O is an arm N, connected by the link M with the lever L. The leverL operates the throttlevalve K, placed in the engine supply-pipe J. Theengine supply-pipe .I is fitted with a balland-socket section 7o. Theengine is of the twincylinder oscillating' variety n, a and differs inno respect from what is in common use, except that the piston-packingand slidevalves are fitted with metalline on the wearing-surfaces in themanner now iu general practice. Power to work the gas-pumps t tandair-pumps ff is transmitted from the engineshaft b by means of the spurgear-wheels e e to the pump-shafts c c, the gas-pump pistons beingoperated by the eccentric-wheels CZ and m. The air-pumps f fareoscillating cylinders with the pistons driven by cranks on the ends ofthe pump-shafts c c. The air is conducted from the air-pumps ff to theboiler F by the air-pipes j j. These pipes are fitted with a section ofrubber-hose pipe between their extension from the engine bed-plate w andthe boiler F. Projecting from the engine bed-plate w are the rider spring-seats y y y y, which support the spiral rider-springs X X, upon whichthe body of the car rides, relieving the truck-axles Z Z and the enginebedplate w from the vibrating motion of the carbody. The object of theball-and-socket-joint section in the pipe J and the rubber-hose sectionsin the gas-pipes h h and air-pipe j is to allow for the vibration of thecar-body on which the boiler F rests. The water necessary to supply theboiler is stored in the water-tanks 7 and S and is fed to the boiler bymeans of the pipe .e entering the boiler at the water bottom 2.

Having described and explained the construction of my street-car motor,I will now proceed to state the mode of operating the same. In the firstplace the gas required to charge the Storagepipes A, B, C, D, and E willbe held in reservoirs under the required tension at convenient stationsin the locality where the cars are to do service, and at these stationsthere will be, also, a means of'charging the water-tanks 7 and 8. Incharging the storage-pipes with gas there must be a small opening in themost elevated part ot the storage-pipes to purge them ot air and preventthe compounding of an explosive mixture. When the pipes are charged withgas and the boiler and tanks with water, a supply of air is furnishedthe combustion-chamber s through a branch pipe and valve attached to theair-pipej. (Not shown on the drawings.) The valve I'I on the top of thepipe q is closed and the valve I opened. The gas is then turned on atthe reducing-valve fi, passing through the gaspump valves to thegasburner 1J, where it is ignited with a kndler through theignitor-pipe 1. The products of combustion passes up the pipe q and isallowed to escape by the pipe I. Then steam of sumcient tension to givemotion to the engine is generated in the boiler, the lever P beingthrown forward, thereby lowering and relieving the friction-idlers Y Yfrom contact with the driver and driven friction-wheels X and WV W, theengine is then started. The escape-valve I is then closed and the valveH opened, allowing the products ot' combustion to enter the steam-drum Gand combine with the steam and passing to the engine. Motion istransmitted to the air and gas pumpsff roo and t t by the gear-wheels ee and shafts c c, thus supplying the combustion-chamber with theproportionate volumes of gas and air to produce perfect combustion. Thetension of the products of combustion in the combustion-chamber s willbe the same as the combined steam and gas in the drum G. When pressuresuicient to propel the car is generated, the lever P is drawn back,lifting the idler friction-wheels into contact with the friction-WheelsX and W W', thereby communicating motion to the truck axles and wheels.In throwing the idlers out of contact in order to stop the car, andconsequently relieving the engine from resistance, the efflux from theboiler to the engine is reduced by the throttle-valve K, operated by thearm N on the shaft O, the link M, and the throttle-le.- ver L to insurejust a sufficient current of combined `gas and airto continue thecombustion while the car is temporarily at rest. The velocity of the caris controlled by the usual stop-valve (not shown on the drawings) in theinduction-pipe J. 'Therefore the amount of combustible fuel suppliedwill correspond with the velocity of the car, and that velocity will belimited only by the laws of frictional resistance inherent in matter.

I disclaim the combination of the products of combustion and steam as asource of potential energy, as I am aware that motors have been in usewherein the combustible gases were generated in the combustion-chamberfrom the raw material coal; but

IIO

` l to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a-street-car, of the main framework consisting ofthe sills A A, distributing-pipes B B, stanchions C C, eaves D D, androof-rafters E E, all being pipes and providing storage for the gas andbeing connected by pipes n n', all substantially in the manner and forthe purpose set forth.

2. In a street-car, the combination of the gas-pumps t t, air-pumps f f,engine-shaft b, spur gear-Wheels e e, pump-shafts c c, having crankedends that drive the pistons in pumps ff, substantially as described.

3. In a street-car motor, the combination of the main framework, allformed of pipes and providing a storage for a gas, the shaft b,friction-Wheel X, idler friction -Wheels Y Y, the driven friction-WheelsW W, the truck-axles Z Z, and the lever P, substantiallyas described.'

4. The combination of the main framework consisting of the storage-pipesA, B, C, D, and

E, the gas-pumps t t, air-pumps f f, engineshaft b, spur gear-Wheel e e,pump-shafts c c, friction Wheel X, idler friction Wheels Y Y, drivenfriction-Wheels W W, and truck-axles Z Z, substantially as described.

`5. In a street-car motor, the combination of the idler friction WheelsY Y, the links U U U II, the stands V V VV, shafts p p, the armsV T T,the rods R S, arm Q, the shaft O, the 1ever P, and the segmentalguide-plate Z, for the purpose as set forth.

6. In a street-car motor, the combination of the boiler F, theengine-cylinders a a, the friction-Wheels X, Y Y, and WV W, theair-pumps ff, gas-pumps t t, reducing-valve c', and storage-pipes A A, BB, C C, D D, and EE, dac., substantially as described, and for thepurpose as set forth.

J. G. LIGHTFORD. Witnesses:

G. E. ALBRECHT, WM. LIGHTFORD.

